Sacrifice
by cywscross
Summary: Sometimes, Tsuna imagines Reborn finding out, and he wonders whether or not his tutor-turned-advisor will ever forgive him for it. He doesn't regret doing it, and he'd do the same thing again a hundred times over if need be, but still – Reborn's never been the forgiving type. But of course, as all secrets do, his eventually comes to light, and Tsuna doesn't have to imagine anymore.


**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Katekyo Hitman Reborn.**

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**General Warnings:** AU, Arcobaleno!Tsuna, violence, language, SLASH, Tsuna x Reborn

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**Summary:** Sometimes, Tsuna imagines Reborn finding out, and he wonders whether or not his tutor-turned-advisor will ever forgive him for it. He doesn't regret doing it, and he'd do the same thing again a hundred times over if need be, but still – Reborn's never been the forgiving type. But of course, as all secrets do, his eventually comes to light, and Tsuna doesn't have to imagine anymore.

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**Author's Notes:** Okay, so I'm going to try my hand at slash. This will be a TsunaxReborn fic, though the focus won't be mainly on romance. You've been warned; don't like, don't read. I really don't want to hear anyone complaining about how slash ruins everything, etc.

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**Chapter 1**

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It was Yuni's fault, really.

In all the years Tsuna had known her, he had never quite figured out whether she was the kindest, most compassionate, selfless girl to ever exist in the history of mankind, or the most potentially ruthless and manipulative person he'd ever met, Mukuro, Xanxus, Kyouya, and Byakuran included.

For one, Tsuna had never understood her decision to leave her entire Famiglia behind when they had been fighting in the future. Oh, he had accepted it at the time, seen her resolve to condemn her men and save the world, and had extended his hand in response when he had seen her desperation, but he hadn't truly understood. Maybe it was because he simply didn't have that kind of... strength to discard those around him for the good of the world, for the _greater good_. He had thought about it for years and his answer still hadn't changed – if it came down to it, he'd save his friends and family first, his Famiglia second, and the rest of the world last.

Sometimes, that selfishness made him kind of hate himself.

In the end though, that didn't matter. Yuni's knowing eyes always made a hidden part of him wary, especially after that fateful day – six years after the Arcobaleno curse had been broken, a year after he had become the youngest mafia boss in underworld history, with the exception of Yuni from the alternate future who didn't count anymore – when Aria had asked him to babysit her daughter and said daughter had blindsided him in the middle of the ice-cream parlour they had been in with-

_"I'm sorry, Tsuna-san. The Sky Pacifier cannot be contained. For the most part, the jars Talbot-san made, as well as Bermuda's Flame of Night are enough to replace the Arcobaleno Pacifiers, but there is simply no equivalent for the Sky Pacifier. It needs a human sacrifice, and- and even before Talbot-san appeared with the special jars, Kawahira-san already chose you as the next Sky Arcobaleno."_

At twenty-one years of age, Tsuna had sat across from an eighteen-year-old Yuni, courtesy of the Ten-Year Bazooka that Lambo had brought with them on their outing, and he had seen the end of his life when she had opened one hand and revealed the Sky Pacifier sitting innocently on her palm.

She had explained, with a regretful, sorrowful smile on her face, that she and Kawahira had discussed the options and had agreed that there were only two choices: one – reactivate the curse and return all the Pacifiers to each of the freed Arcobaleno until they weakened and another set would be chosen, or two – sacrifice only one person each generation for the position of the Sky Arcobaleno.

_"We've decided that it will be your choice, Tsuna-san," _Yuni had said earnestly.

To Tsuna, it hadn't been a choice at all, and judging by her sympathetic gaze, Yuni had known that as well as he had.

Five minutes later, the Sky Pacifier had been settled around his neck, deceptively light even as an invisible weight sunk deep into what felt like his very soul.

It had occurred to him, briefly, once his time's Yuni was back and Lambo and I-Pin had been called back over from their game of catch in the park across the street, that he could've brought up the possibility of the younger Yuni or even Aria taking back the Sky Pacifier.

But one look at the carefree eight-year-old who was no longer burdened by visions of the future, and a mother who would, with a bit of luck, live a good long life had made Tsuna glance away in shame.

How could he even _consider _such a thing?

Yuni was finally growing up without a curse hanging over her head, had even found a father figure in Gamma. Besides, Kawahira had already told him that Tsuna would have been the next ideal Sky Arcobaleno, even more so than Yuni. Tsuna had no right to wish something like the Arcobaleno curse on the girl, especially with the particular abilities that the Sky Pacifier entailed.

_"You should remember, Tsuna-san, all the things that come with being the Sky Arcobaleno. You will not be stuck in an infant body, but your life span will be been significantly shortened. And though the last set of Arcobaleno have all been freed, they were still Pacifier bearers once. Should any or all of them ever fall, you would have the power to bring them back. But in exchange, your life, like all Sky Arcobaleno before you, would be forfeit should you decide this ability to be necessary._

"_...I am so very sorry, Tsuna-san."_

Like he'd said – it was Yuni's fault, really.

Because in the end, he hadn't done it for the Earth's 'protectors' or the good of humanity or even world balance. He had done it because the ex-Arcobaleno were his friends, part of his family, _Yuni_ was his friend and little sister despite his misgivings, and he'd quite literally do anything to protect his friends and family.

No doubt, Yuni had known that, so she had laid out the facts for Tsuna's ears alone.

As if Tsuna could ever say no.

**{1}**

**[Four Years Later]**

"Oi, Tsuna."

Tsuna didn't so much as twitch from his sprawled position on the couch, one arm thrown over his eyes to block the light. "I'm finished all my paperwork, Reborn. You can check it."

He frowned when no immediate retort or gunshot came, but he only looked up when the end of the couch at his feet dipped with Reborn's weight.

"Reborn?" He peered at the fedora-wearing adult, long legs crossed with lazy elegance as dark eyes surveyed Tsuna in return.

The ex-Arcobaleno had finally stopped growing at random speeds, and they had caught up to Lal at last a year ago. Now all of them were back in their early thirties or late twenties, the age they had been when they had first taken on the curse. It still came as a novelty to see Colonello and Lal only five years older than he was, or Skull three years older.

"You're not coming down with something, are you?" Reborn was saying, eyeing him critically. "The Vongola Boss shouldn't get sick."

Tsuna rolled his eyes and let his head fall back against the arm rest once more. "I may be the Vongola Boss but that doesn't change the fact that I'm still human. I can come down with the flu just as much as anyone else."

To be honest though, Tsuna knew he wasn't coming down with anything. Glimpses of the future had plagued his dreams the past few nights and he hadn't been able to sleep properly. He could see peace for the future of Vongola, the smiling faces of his Famiglia and their prosperity, but there was also a sense of dread underlying it all. The feeling didn't go away when he was awake, and occasional bouts of lethargy told him that his time was swiftly running out.

How much longer would he have? A year? Two on the outside?

And he still hadn't told anyone. That first year after he had received the Pacifier had been one of the hardest in his life. He had been afraid of people finding out and equally terrified of coping with the curse on his own. However, in the end, he had chosen the latter.

The main reason had been because it wasn't as if anyone could do anything about it, and he didn't want his friends working themselves to death trying to find a cure that wasn't there.

The other reason... well, Tsuna had never claimed to be a saint. He was a selfish person through and through, and a part of him was still a coward, still Dame-Tsuna. He didn't want to face his Family's reactions when they eventually found out, and putting it off day after day only made it harder. He didn't want to see their faces cloud with sympathy like Yuni, or grieve for him even when he was still alive.

Of course, it wasn't possible to keep the curse a secret entirely. Kawahira knew, obviously, but the man had thankfully stayed away, and Talbot had appeared on his doorstep one day and asked for a private audience with him. They had argued for three hours straight before Tsuna had compromised with an agreement that Talbot could look for yet another alternate method but the project wasn't to take up his life.

That had been four years ago and the craftsman still hadn't found a solution. He had managed to work the jars so that the Sky Pacifier wouldn't have to be passed on to someone else immediately upon Tsuna's passing, allowing a hundred years, give or take, in between before someone new would have to be chosen again.

But the last time Tsuna had visited the man five months ago, he hadn't needed his intuition or his Pacifier's power to realize that even Talbot was losing hope for a permanent remedy. The old man got points for sheer tenacity though. _Tsuna_ had lost hope the day future Yuni had come to him with his impending death in hand.

The last person who knew had been both expected and unexpected. Vongola was on relatively okayish terms with the Vindice now though so, while uncommon, it wasn't completely shocking to see one of them swinging by the Vongola mansion, either for business or the annual Christmas party.

Not to mention Bermuda was now responsible for protecting the Pacifiers' Flames of the Sky. Tsuna would've been surprised if the Vindice Boss hadn't come to seek him out.

Finding him had been one thing, ensuring that nobody eavesdropped was quite another. None of Tsuna's Guardians or Family members trusted Bermuda further than they could kick him, and Reborn always, always kept his gun in sight whenever the Vindice Boss was within ten feet of Tsuna.

In Tsuna's opinion, it was ridiculous how paranoid his former tutor was when it came to him and Bermuda. Reborn didn't do that for Mukuro or Xanxus or even Byakuran.

Still, Tsuna had eventually managed to get them into a secure room, which they had then ended up staying in for the next eight hours. To say that Bermuda's reaction was explosive would be an understatement of massive proportions. The Vindice Boss had wanted to hunt down Kawahira again and start another war, and when Tsuna had objected, Bermuda had lashed out at him.

Accusations had been hurled, punches had been thrown, and by the time they had finished, the walls had looked like charcoal. Luckily, the place had also been soundproofed to the nth degree – nobody had come running.

Their semi-altercation had ended with Bermuda grudgingly backing down when Tsuna had pointed out that, for the most part, the Arcobaleno curse had been stopped. It was just the occasional Sky Arcobaleno who would live a little less than everyone else. There would be no infant body, no extended lifespan until Kawahira decided it was time to cut it short, and Tsuna would die fairly normally, if a bit early.

Bermuda certainly hadn't been happy so Tsuna supposed it wasn't so bad that the Vindice Boss considered himself indebted to Tsuna after the whole Representative Battles debacle had gone down. It had come in handy when Bermuda had threatened to tell Reborn of all people. It was no secret that the former had no particular liking for the hitman and the latter downright loathed the Vindice Boss. Tsuna would've been touched if it hadn't also meant revealing his secret to the very last person he wanted finding out.

Reborn was not a forgiving person; never had been, and never would be. And since it was the Arcobaleno curse in question, coupled with the fact that Tsuna was the one paying for it after he had worked so hard to free Reborn from the same thing, he wouldn't be surprised if the hitman considered the entire issue a betrayal on Tsuna's part. Not to mention he knew Reborn well enough to realize that there would be guilt entering the equation when his former tutor found out.

But it was _Reborn_, and the man had been such a large part of Tsuna's life for what seemed like forever that not protecting him felt like a betrayal in and of itself. He knew his former tutor better than anyone else at this point in time, cared about him just as much as he did his Guardians and closest Family members, and Tsuna would never be able to forget the utter happiness on Reborn's face when the Arcobaleno curse had been broken for what they had all believed to be for good. Burdening Reborn with even a single aspect of that curse ever again was something Tsuna never wanted to do.

So Tsuna would hold it off for as long as he could. He wanted his Family happy, and if that meant indirectly shielding them from the curse, then so be it.

Sometimes, Tsuna thought that maybe Byakuran might know as well, but it would be just like that marshmallow-loving fox to keep it to himself and mock Tsuna about it when it came out. They were on friendly terms now, had been for years, but that didn't mean Byakuran had completely changed his ways.

Tsuna blinked at his ceiling and zeroed back in to present time when he realized that Reborn was talking.

"-Kuznetsov Famiglia has agreed to the alliance we offered," The hitman was saying. "Ryohei flew out this morning to finalize things. I guess all the help you lent them in those skirmishes paid off."

Tsuna grinned, rising to a sitting position. "Wow, Reborn, that was practically a compliment! I'm flattered."

Reborn snorted, a glint of good humour entering his eyes. "Don't get a big head, Dame-Tsuna. I almost miss the years when you wouldn't dream of back-talking."

Tsuna just snickered, and then stretched languidly before getting up. He had quickly found out that wearing the Pacifier around his neck wasn't the best idea so it usually stayed inside whatever pocket he had at the time. At the moment, the Pacifier rested like lead against his leg. The thing was always warm with Sky flames but it never seemed anything but cold when Tsuna held it.

He scrubbed a hand through his hair. Not even the good news of another Famiglia accepting an alliance with Vongola could chase away his exhaustion. He wanted to sleep.

"Hayato's been considering the need to call Shamal," Reborn commented offhandedly from behind him. "You've missed five dinners in the past two weeks. You're worrying your friends, Tsuna."

Tsuna forced his posture to remain undisturbed, slipping his hands into his pockets before turning around to face his former tutor with a puzzled look. He had been taught by the best, after all.

"I've just been busy, Reborn. Vongola's never been stronger, you know, and I'm almost finished cleaning out all the bad business we've been buried under. Seriously, all the drug cartels had to go, and I _just_ finished getting rid of all the traces a month ago. And have I told you about one of our branches over in Germany? I found out recently that they're absolutely filled with corrupt idiots. I mean the third-in-command was an embezzler through and through. The _medical officer_ posted there was a drug addict. The second-in-command was a drug dealer, _dealing to _the medical officer. And the guy _in command_ was an embezzler, drug dealer, _and_ drug addict. Just- It's mind-boggling how they were even functioning."

He paused and found Reborn smirking at him. "Haha, very funny, you weren't the one who had to deal with all the paperwork that came with it. That branch has been shut down as of... two hours ago."

Reborn shook his head. "Who did you send to handle it?"

Tsuna smiled grimly. "I asked Kyouya. He volunteered after I showed him their rap sheet. Mukuro's going with him."

Another smirk crossed Reborn's face as he tilted down his fedora. "I almost feel sorry for the morons. But you do realize that sending those two on a mission together is just asking for damage costs to rise, right?"

Tsuna threw up his hands. "Yes, but I'm aiming to put the fear of- well, the fear of two devils in them. Better than sending the Varia anyway. Xanxus doesn't like dealing with small-fry and he'd kill everyone and destroy everything because he'd be pissed off. Again."

"That last time was because you suggested therapy to him, Tsuna," Reborn chuckled. "You had it coming."

Tsuna grinned in remembrance. Xanxus hadn't been very happy with him when Tsuna had brought up anger management sessions. The man had only stopped shooting at him after Tsuna had promised to put in new hot tubs in the Varia mansion as an apology.

Then again, that might've been Xanxus' goal all along.

Tsuna shifted, and the world suddenly shifted as well. He stilled.

Darkness. Cries. Sobs. The darkness lifted just enough to reveal a lone coffin. The Vongola emblem blazed gold against the black box.

Tsuna blinked and his vision cleared. The endless blue sky outside his window stared back at him instead.

He closed his eyes. The first time images like that had appeared in the middle of the day, he had fallen over, collapsing in a heap on the ground. Luckily, he'd been alone in his bedroom at the time.

That hadn't been the first time he had caught a glimpse of his own death either. Or, technically, signs of his imminent death.

Idly, he wondered if his body would still be here after he passed, or if he'd disappear just like Yuni had in the alternate future when she had revived the other Arcobaleno.

He almost jumped out of his skin when a calloused hand pressed against his forehead. His eyes flew open and he found an uncharacteristically frowning Reborn standing in front of him, frame slightly hunched so that he was level with Tsuna.

"I think I'll give that go-ahead to Hayato," Reborn muttered, straightening again when Tsuna took a startled step back. "You've been rather distracted lately too."

Tsuna huffed in protest. "I'm fine, Reborn! I just need to catch up on some sleep. You're getting all mother-hen-ish in your old age."

Reborn twitched, and then whacked him upside the head. "I'm thirty-one, Dame-Tsuna, and one, mother-hen-ish isn't a word. Two, one of the Vongola Boss' responsibilities is to look after his own health, and three..."

Tsuna hastily began backing away as Leon, who, along with his fellow animals, had stayed even after the curse had been broken, changed into a gun in Reborn's hand.

Reborn's eyes flashed ominously. "Three, I was unfortunate enough to get stuck babysitting an immature brat like you. Luckily, I always get compensation when you call me _old_."

Tsuna squeaked and fled his office just as a rubber bullet hit the wall above his head. He flew down the hall, and, now a regular occurrence, his employees cleared the way for him, all wearing fondly exasperated smiles as Reborn stalked after him, gun raised in vengeance.

_It would be,_ Tsuna thought sardonically as he rounded a corner. _Ridiculously easy if Reborn ever tried to assassinate me. No one would try to stop him, and it won't be because he's the greatest hitman in the world either._

He didn't actually feel like running, but at least it got Reborn off his case about seeing Shamal.

Besides, their chases always made him feel somewhat nostalgic.

**{1}**

"For the last time, I am _fine_," Tsuna sighed, slumped on the examination table that Shamal had ordered him onto. Apparently, Reborn hadn't been sufficiently sidetracked.

"Vongola, you have no idea how fine I want you to be too," The doctor muttered distractedly as he flipped through the results of Tsuna's checkup. "Then I wouldn't have to treat you and we'd both be a lot happier. Sadly, what Reborn wants, Reborn gets. He wants you to get a checkup from yours truly so you're getting a checkup from yours truly. Suck it up."

Tsuna scowled at him. Wasn't being the boss supposed to mean something around here?

He heaved another sigh and flopped back on the table. The padding was quite nice actually.

"You're not going to find anything," He said out loud. "I'm as healthy as a horse."

"You know, I've never understood that saying," Shamal remarked as he made his way over. "What if the horse is sick?"

The doctor closed the file in his hands and leaned over him. "As it is, you're healthy enough, though your blood pressure's higher than I'd like it to be."

Tsuna waved his hand in the general direction of the rest of the mansion. Even from the medical wing, they could hear the distant sounds of dynamite going off and people shouting at each other at the top of their lungs. "You're _surprised_?"

Shamal grunted. "Fair enough. Any dizziness lately? Headaches? Difficulty sleeping? Reborn mentioned that you've been feeling more tired than usual."

Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes to all three. Shamal, I don't need a doctor or a degree to know that I'm stressed. I also know that I need more sleep and I probably need to eat more regularly as well. So, is this examination really necessary?"

Shamal crossed his arms. "Even after all these years, you still don't get it, do you? You're important now, Vongola. Have been for a while now, in case you've missed that memo. You're the boss of one of the strongest mafia syndicates in the world, one that's looking less and less like a mafia syndicate by the day. You've got police agencies knocking on your door looking for mutual ceasefires and tentative proposals for _working together_. What kind of criminal organization works with law enforcement?"

Tsuna smiled. "That was always my goal, Shamal, you know that. You've known me for over a decade now, since I was a kid. God, it's been a long time. You know I've never wanted to be a mafia boss, but that was all but unavoidable. So I decided that if I couldn't change what I was going to be, then I'd change what Vongola was going to be. And I have. I'm doing it right now. Vongola started as a vigilante group; I'm just bringing it back to its former glory, that's all."

Shamal stared at him for a long, calculating minute, silent and assessing, before he uncrossed his arms, tossed Tsuna's file onto a nearby desk, and dug out a crumpled piece of paper from his coat pocket.

It took Tsuna a moment to recognize the latest of twenty letters he had sent over the years to Shamal, all job offers to become Vongola's head doctor. Each one had been ignored; thrown away or returned to Tsuna without being opened at all. While Shamal drifted semi-frequently in and out of the mansion, he only ever treated Tsuna and his closest Family members, and that was only when it was either an emergency or a request from Reborn and, occasionally, Tsuna himself. All other times, Shamal stuck with women or continued his career as a solo assassin.

Slowly, Tsuna looked up to meet the doctor's unusually sharp gaze. He hadn't expected Shamal to keep the one he had sent over six months ago.

Deliberately, the doctor pulled out a pen, smoothed out the sheet of paper against the desk, and without further ado, signed his name at the bottom in a mix of his signature neat handwriting and chicken scratch. Without a word, he capped the pen and thrust the contract in Tsuna's direction.

Tsuna stared down at the signature, feeling slightly dazed. "...I've nagged you to take this position for _five years_ and when you finally agree, you do it in the middle of my appointment?"

"Did you want to wait for some thunder and lightning?" Shamal enquired dryly. "I'm sure that Lambo and Irie could throw in some special effects."

Tsuna glanced up, bewildered. "But why now? It's completely out of the blue. Did you tell Hayato? He didn't tell me."

"You're the one who'll be paying me," Shamal pointed out. "And I didn't make up my mind until just now."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes. "And you'll treat everyone? Men and women?"

"So long as it's not for things like bruises and papercuts," Shamal nodded at the contract. "Don't worry, Vongola, I have that thing memorized backwards by now. I signed it; I'll follow the terms."

Tsuna broke out into a helplessly wide grin, earning an eye-roll and an amused look from Shamal.

Tsuna didn't care. He tucked the contract away. That was one more task ticked off his bucket list.

"So, can I go, Doctor?" Tsuna queried, already sliding off the table.

Shamal waved a hand at the door. "Bed rest, Vongola. I'll drop a word to Reborn to tell him to lighten your workload for the next two weeks or so. If you still have trouble sleeping, come back and I'll prescribe some medication for you."

Tsuna mock-saluted before heading for the door. "Thanks, Shamal. As always."

He paused in the doorway, hand lingering on the doorknob as he turned back. Shamal arched an eyebrow as he took a seat at the desk. This office had a good view and a lot of space – Tsuna knew that the doctor would choose this room as his main workplace.

"Welcome to the Family, Shamal," Tsuna beamed, warm and bright and just a bit wistful because he wouldn't be around for too much longer to enjoy the life he'd built with his friends.

Shamal snorted and turned away, though not before Tsuna caught the faintest hint of a smile on his face. "Get outta here, Vongola. I've got who-knows-how-many people's medical files to go through."

With a last grin, Tsuna disappeared out the door. He couldn't wait to tell Reborn that he'd finally secured the only doctor he'd ever accept into his Family as Vongola's head of medical staff.

And really, Tsuna didn't think he had even done anything special to acquire said doctor.

**{1}**

"Ne, Hayato, Xanxus has come a long way from the enemy we fought all those years ago, don't you think?" Tsuna asked casually over dinner several days later.

It was just him, his Guardians (it was one of Kyouya's I'll-deign-to-eat-with-you-herbivores-but-if-you-d o-anything-I-can't-tolerate-I'll-bite-you-to-death nights), Shamal, Bianchi, and Reborn tonight. I-Pin and Fuuta were out with some college friends, Kyoko, Haru, and Hana were visiting family in Japan, and everyone else was either scattered in the other parts of the mansion or away on business.

The question had been posted to Hayato who was sitting on his immediate right but a sudden lull in the usual cacophony caused the entire table to turn to him, thoroughly bemused.

Tsuna stared back placidly as he swallowed a mouthful of pasta.

"Uh, I guess so, Jyuudaime," Hayato answered after a moment of flummoxed silence. "I mean his men are loyal to him, and... well, I hate to admit it, but I'm alright with working with him and that crazy team of his. Though that bastard still blows up half the mansion every time he comes by."

Tsuna squinted at him, suppressing an amused grin. "You can't talk, Hayato."

His Right-Hand cringed and automatically opened his mouth to babble an apology but stopped himself just in time, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly instead. Tsuna quirked a smile. It had taken a while to break the bomber's more ardent habits.

Beside Hayato, Takeshi laughed, waving his fork in the air. "Yeah, and Xanxus only breaks a few walls when he's here because Squalo never lets up. Sometimes, I swear he wants to behead me whenever he asks for a spar."

They all sweatdropped. Squalo asking for a spar was less asking and more charging at Takeshi at full speed with his sword drawn and bellowing threats at the top of his lungs all the while.

"You clueless sword freak!" Hayato snapped. "That shark bastard _is_ trying to behead you!"

"Oh? I didn't know you cared so much, Hayato!"

"Where the hell did you get that idea from, baseball idiot?!"

"Herbivores, be quiet. I'm trying to eat."

"Kufufu, dinner wouldn't be dinner without evening entertainment, Kyouya-kun."

"Mukuro, maybe you shouldn't say that..."

"There is no need to worry, Nagi. I'm sure they don't mind."

"Who are you calling entertainment, bastard?!"

"I'll bite you to death for addressing me in such a casual manner."

"Not if I get him first!"

"ARE WE HAVING ANOTHER EXTREME COMPETITION?! I EXTREMELY WANT TO JOIN!"

"Haha, I'll join too. Hayato, we can be on the same team."

"_When hell freezes over, sword freak!_"

"Oi, oi, settle down. You're grownups now; shouldn't you be more mature?"

"Shamal, these kids don't understand the concept of maturity."

"You're one to talk, you hypocrite! I can _see_ you making your Poison Cooking _right now_!"

"Now, now, Hayato, is that any way to talk to your sister?"

"EXTREME FLYING STEAK!"

"Please calm down! Boss, they're starting another food fight!"

"Do take cover, Nagi. I believe I'm being targeted once again."

"You're all crazy! Tsuna-nii, Gokudera-shi threw mashed potatoes in my soup!"

"NO, I DIDN'T! THAT'S A _LIE_, JYUUDAIME!"

Tsuna sighed as the table dissolved into pandemonium. He didn't feel like wasting breath trying to stop them once again so he snatched up his plate of pasta and the wine he had been drinking before heading for the door.

Sometimes, he wondered just _what_ he had been thinking when he had taken on the Vongola mantle. He'd plead long-term insanity.

Tsuna felt more than saw Reborn follow him, and as he settled at the counter of one of the smaller, unused kitchens, he made sure to take the inside stool, leaving the other for his ex-tutor.

They ate in a companionable silence for several minutes before Reborn jabbed his fork in Tsuna's direction. "A good boss should be able to keep his men under control."

Tsuna rolled his eyes half-heartedly. "Yeah, yeah, you've said that a hundred times. You know I can. For the most part."

Reborn hummed noncommittally and said nothing more on the subject. "I checked your schedule; you're flying out to Japan tomorrow?"

Tsuna nodded, careful to keep his expression relaxed. "Yeah, I've got some downtime so I thought I'd visit Kaa-san and see how she's doing. Takeshi and Onii-san are coming as well, and I'm dragging Tou-san with me too; she'll be happy to see him."

Ever since Tsuna had become Decimo, he'd made sure to give his father plenty of time off to go home to Nana, even delegating more of the CEDEF's work to Basil as the years had passed. Iemitsu hadn't said anything about it, but Tsuna would like to think that the man was at least grateful for the extra leave. Nono had been getting old and he'd needed all the help he'd had around him, which had actually gone a long way to allowing Tsuna to forgive his dad for being absent more often than not during his childhood. A few extra phone calls would've been nice, but Tsuna couldn't hold a grudge forever, and for all his vices, Iemitsu was still the only father he had.

Reborn hummed noncommittally, reaching for his own glass of wine. "It would've been nice to see Mamma again. Not so nice that you're sending me out of the country with _Colonello_."

Tsuna snickered. Even after all this time, Reborn and Colonello still butted heads with each other. Tsuna had dissolved into hysterical laughter when the latter had shuffled up to the former one day, picked a fight with him, and then proceeded to ask the hitman to be his best man at his and Lal's wedding. He'd laughed even harder when Reborn had grudgingly accepted after throwing in a few choice insults in and an uppercut to Colonello's jaw.

Of course, Tsuna had paid for it afterwards, but it'd been worth it.

He glanced over at Reborn when he didn't immediately get a slap to the head for laughing at the man's expense, and found the assassin watching him with an almost fond expression on his face, quickly wiped away when Tsuna blinked at him.

Carefully, Tsuna slid his own gaze back onto his food, pretending not to notice the slight tension that had suddenly spiked between them.

Tsuna was twenty-five now, and while he wouldn't say he was worldly or particularly wise, he'd like to think he'd grown less naive over the years. Heck, he'd had his fair share of seeing just how bad people could become before he had even turned sixteen, knew how dark the world could be, and his own hands were stained with blood no matter how hard he'd worked to change Vongola. There was only so much he could do so fast.

And in between all that, he'd had a few lovers, Kyoko being the first and the only one he still talked to on a regular basis. To be fair, they all lived together so not talking was kind of unavoidable, but they were still good friends despite the fact that their relationship hadn't really made it beyond a few awkward months back in high school. They had tried, but Kyoko had been Tsuna's first crush, more of a puppy-love sort of adoration than anything long-lasting, and they had both agreed that they were much better off as good friends. Kyoko had been the only girlfriend he'd had that he'd managed to break up with on good terms; probably the only reason Ryohei hadn't snapped him in two afterwards.

The next few – literally three others – had lasted longer but they had been nowhere near as precious to him as Kyoko had been and still was. The first had been another girl in high school, but she had been largely uncomfortable with all the madness in Tsuna's life, and someone like that wouldn't last two seconds in the mafia world.

The next had started just before he had become Decimo – a young woman, Delfina, in an allied Family whom Tsuna had had a fun time with for almost eight months before they had parted ways, mostly because she hadn't been all that happy with his busy schedule and refusal to sign a few extra trade agreements between their Famiglias.

Embarrassingly enough, more than one of his Guardians had been overjoyed to see the back of her, though at least he'd managed to find a sympathetic ear with Kyoko and Haru right after the breakup.

The third and last had been his first male lover. His Family had been even less pleased with this one than Delfina, and, as it had turned out, with good reason.

Tsuna had been almost twenty-two, seven months after he had become an Arcobaleno, and Gino had been an easygoing but talented unaffiliated assassin with a cocky grin and mischievous green eyes that Tsuna had met in an Italian café one day when one of Vongola's enemies had opened fire on them in broad daylight. Only two years older, the man had started hitting on Tsuna right there in the middle of the shootout, and before it was over, Gino had managed to slip him a name and a phone number before hightailing out of there, laughing without a care in the world even as he'd ducked the tonfa Kyouya had hurled at him after the Cloud Guardian had caught the exchange.

Tsuna hadn't called – it wasn't really in his nature – but three weeks after their first meeting, he'd bumped into Gino again on a mission he had been wrapping up with Hayato. Thankfully, they hadn't been on opposing sides, and this time, despite Hayato's bristling agitation when Gino had begun flirting with Tsuna yet again, Tsuna had found himself amused and had cautiously agreed to a coffee run with the man once the mission had been over. He'd made Tsuna laugh over their impromptu sort-of-date, and Tsuna had been pleasantly surprised to discover that he'd enjoyed it.

Perhaps he had been corrupted by the insanity that was his friends and family, but Gino had stuck in his mind, and he hadn't seen any harm in giving the man a chance. Gino had lasted over a year, to the point where he had become a regular presence around the Vongola mansion and even Hayato had stopped growling at the man whenever the dynamite specialist had clapped eyes on him.

(And more than a few times, Tsuna had almost – _almost_ – spilled his closest-guarded secret to the assassin, but something had always held him back, even though it had made him feel guilty for leading Gino on in a roundabout way. Tsuna was going to die sooner rather than later and it would've been the selfless thing – the _right_ thing – to do to break their relationship off before it got too serious.)

As it was, that hadn't been necessary anyway.

It had been the middle of the night, nearing three o'clock in the morning, and Tsuna had been sleeping when Reborn had swept in and shook him awake (with unusually gentle hands and to an empty spot where Gino should've been), features grim and apprehensive, and eyes burning with murderous rage.

Apparently, Gino had been caught by Mukuro, who had come in late from an assignment and had been in the process of dropping off his report on Tsuna's desk (locks meant nothing to the illusionist, or any of Tsuna's most trusted, really) before going to bed to catch up on his sleep. The Mist Guardian had silently breezed past all the locks and strode in, only to find a startled Gino on Tsuna's computer and copying all the data he had been able to get his hands on onto a USB.

When Tsuna had rushed in on the scene, heart cold and numb with betrayal, it was to find even Mukuro's signature smirk nowhere in sight and his trident stabbed clean through Gino's arm without mercy, pinning the infiltrator against one wall like a mounted butterfly.

Tsuna had come very, very close to saying yes when Mukuro had asked, casual and dark and lethal, for permission to take Gino outside for a little accident.

But revenge had never been Tsuna's style, and even if Gino had never had any feelings for Tsuna, had only been using him in the end, that hadn't meant that Tsuna's feelings automatically went away.

So, ignoring Gino's pleas and attempts to talk his way out of the mess, Tsuna had ordered a thorough investigation into the whole matter – firewalls reviewed and updated, passwords changed, all systems checked for viruses and hacks – before quietly telling Mukuro not to kill Gino but that he never wanted to see the man again.

Mukuro had looked like he wanted to argue, but something in Tsuna's expression must have given away the agony twisting his heart because the illusionist had nodded curtly, yanked his trident out as painfully as physically possible, before hauling Gino forward and disappearing in a flash of Mist flames.

It was only Reborn's steady, solid presence at his back that ensured Tsuna's stumbling but ultimately successful retreat back to his bedroom. Distantly, he'd thanked his former tutor at the door with a brittle smile that hadn't quite fit on his face before locking himself in and spending the rest of the night and the next day curled up in blankets at his window bay and staring sightlessly out into the garden.

True to Mukuro's word (or nod), Tsuna never saw Gino again. To this day, he had no idea what had happened to his ex-lover, but even Nagi had sworn up and down that the man was still alive.

_Unfortunately_, she'd added with uncharacteristic venom.

(Privately, Tsuna thought Mukuro had been a bad influence on her.)

Mukuro had obviously told the other Guardians though, who had, all things considered, most likely taken turns doing unmentionably evil things to Gino that Tsuna would've definitely not approved of, and even Reborn had most likely confronted the assassin, whose ideas for vengeance was, without a doubt, worse than everyone else's combined. When Tsuna had emerged from his room, all of them had still been seething, and Hayato had personally promised him that Tsuna would only ever need to say the word, and the bomber would blast Gino off the face of the planet. Permanently.

Tsuna had only shaken his head and refrained from asking for details of what they _had_ done, and no one had ever told him.

Still, it had taken several months before his smile had started feeling like a smile again, and he could stop wanting to smash something or cry whenever he had happened to glance at something or some place that had reminded him of Gino.

But that had been sufficient experience to warn him away from any other serious relationships, especially when he'd started getting glimpses of his own impending death mere months after that breakup, and he'd become adept at recognizing and brushing off coy smiles and seduction attempts and blushing love confessions at functions and balls and even when he was walking down the street.

So, on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon, when he'd been teasing Reborn about his latest growth spurt – the hitman had finally hit Tsuna's age of twenty-three-almost-twenty-four – Tsuna had almost dropped the camera he had been holding when he'd caught an extra edge of _something_ in the sidelong mock-glare Reborn had been sending in return, and it had taken him several frozen seconds to realize that it was the sort of look Colonello sent Lal, except with far less teasing adoration and none of the lovestruck earnestness that the former Rain Arcobaleno had had now and then before Lal had agreed to marry him. It had struck Tsuna with all the force of a sledgehammer, and he'd nearly reeled back from the shock of it, foreign and familiar, heated and breathtaking and absolutely impossible.

Tsuna had kept an eye out for that perplexing storm of emotion though, and he'd caught it again on occasion, never for long and always gone in a matter of heartbeats, but there all the same.

(And maybe it had always been there, perhaps not in that precise way, but always in some form or another, almost since they had first met – affection and pride of a teacher towards a student, and then warm fondness of a friend to a friend, and then...)

Tsuna had been uncertain of whether or not he had gotten it right at first. After all, this was _Reborn_, who could have anyone he wanted, who had countless females ready to throw themselves at him, who had _Bianchi_ waiting, starry-eyed and devoted, in the wings.

But then Reborn had taken Bianchi out one day and had come back alone, eyes shadowed underneath his fedora, and when Bianchi had come home the next day, she had requested some time off to travel that Tsuna had hesitantly granted after seeing her red-rimmed eyes and the bitter downward tilt of her mouth when she had caught sight of Reborn.

She'd returned four months later, lighter and happier, and she'd been able to greet Reborn without pause, and while she'd given him a hug, she hadn't latched on as she typically would've before.

(And last Tsuna had heard from the Vongola rumour mill, Bianchi had been spotted eating lunch with Lancia at a nearby restaurant.)

Reborn never paid any attention to his flock of admirers either, even though he'd dance with them at functions if it was required and always seemed to have fun smirking at them and making them swoon.

And the sidelong glances continued, infrequent and not obvious or ridiculously doe-eyed like Tsuna's own admirers-sometimes-bordering-on-stalkers, but _present _enough for Tsuna to realize where Reborn's interests laid, whether or not the hitman himself was aware of it.

So when Tsuna finally managed to wrap his head around this fact, he'd found himself embarrassed and actually flattered, because if there was one person he could point to and say he admired and trusted above all else, it was Reborn, who had been by his side ever since Nono had decided to make Tsuna his heir.

But at the same time, he knew nothing could ever come of it.

It wasn't the fact that it was _Reborn_, his ex-tutor and current advisor, that stopped him from making anything out of it, or their age difference, or the fuss his father might kick up, or what some people might say about them, or even the fact that Tsuna had never exclusively thought of the hitman that way. He already loved Reborn, just like he loved his Guardians and other close Family members; they were his life. It would probably be very easy to fall for the man if he allowed himself the leisure.

(Hell, he might be halfway there already.)

But he couldn't, because he was going to die soon, because the curse was the one lie Reborn would never forgive him for even if it was by omission and to protect them.

And because it wouldn't be fair to Reborn to have a secret like that looming between them, especially because it was them, because in a way, Tsuna was paying the price for Reborn's – and the other Arcobaleno's – freedom.

So even now, a year and three months (not that he was counting) after Tsuna had first taken notice of Reborn's interest, even though it was just the two of them in an otherwise empty kitchen and he could bring it up any time and Reborn wouldn't laugh at him and probably wouldn't deny it, Tsuna continued pretending that there was nothing there.

It should be a passing interest at most, and Reborn had made no mention of it himself. If it was all that important, then surely the hitman would've said something by now, pursued it instead of holding back.

Tsuna polished off the last of his dinner before glancing at Reborn again. The assassin was staring contemplatively into his wineglass now, expression closed off and unreadable.

"Christmas is coming up," He started lightly, hoping to clear the air. Reborn's gaze flicked back towards him as deft fingers idly twirled the glass in his hand. "So I'll be coming back with Kaa-san to celebrate, and Takeshi's bringing his dad. Kyoko and the others will be taking the flight back with us as well."

Reborn nodded. "Hm, and you'll be inviting the Varia, I suppose?"

"Of course," Tsuna bit back a snicker. "You ask that every Christmas. You should be glad I don't invite the Vindice for the family party."

"I thank Santa Claus every year for that miracle," Reborn deadpanned, and Tsuna laughed.

Unlike the Christmas party where _everyone _was invited, the family party was just for Vongola's upper echelon and all their closest blood relatives (those of them who still _had_ blood relatives), as well as Timoteo and his Guardians, Dino, Romario, and the former Arcobaleno and associates whom Tsuna either hadn't quite been able to convince into Vongola yet or had their own Family to run (namely Verde who had labs in the Vongola mansion anyway, and Aria, Yuni, and Gamma and his two brothers, who had the Giglio Nero).

"Well," Tsuna slipped off his stool, gathering up his plate and utensils as Reborn followed suit. "Just make sure you and Colonello get back in time; Lal will kick my ass if her husband is still on a mission when Christmas swings around, and it'd be plain weird if you weren't around causing chaos and havoc along with everyone else."

Reborn snorted. "Please, I just point your unruly Guardians in the right direction and they do the rest all by themselves. As if they need my help blowing up the house."

As if on cue, a boom came from the main dining room and the walls shook ominously in the ensuing silence.

Tsuna exchanged a glance with his advisor before they both shook their heads and bowed out of returning to the rest of the Family. If they didn't see it, they could pretend it wasn't happening.

**{1}**

"You go on ahead, Tou-san," Tsuna said when they reached the front gates of Tsuna's childhood home. "I want to take a walk around first. It's been a while since I've been back in Namimori."

Iemitsu blinked at him before his features softened into teasing lines. "Giving your mother and I alone time to do adult things, Tsuna? How sweet of y- oof!"

Tsuna pulled back the duffel bag he had smacked into his father's face. "Shut up, old man, I just feel like taking a walk. I'll be back in an hour on the outside."

"Alright, alright," Iemitsu waved cheerfully at him, already looking eager to get into the house. "Don't go eating anything though; your mother will have a five-star gourmet spread ready for us."

Tsuna smiled at the thought and nodded agreeably before meandering down the street. He didn't stop until he had gone several blocks down, stopping only once he had reached the bridge stretching over Namimori River.

For a moment, he let his thoughts drift down memory lane, remembering the time he'd had to save Haru and Reborn had shot him with a Dying Will Bullet so he'd go through with it.

With a wistful sigh, he turned and leaned back against the railing before glancing to the side. "It's been a while, Kawahira-san."

There was a pause, and then a ripple of Mist flames shimmered into existence, clearing to reveal the white-haired man that Tsuna had known to have been following him ever since he had stepped out of the airport.

"As expected of Vongola Decimo," Kawahira dipped his head in a polite, almost respectful bow. "How have you been, Sawada-san?"

"As well as can be expected under the circumstances," Tsuna retorted dryly. "Let's not waste time on small talk, Kawahira-san. I haven't seen my mother in nine months; I'd like to get back as soon as possible. What do you want?"

Kawahira straightened, remaining silent for several seconds as he joined Tsuna at the railing.

"It is almost time," He said at last. "Are you prepared?"

Tsuna scoffed, staring down at the water below. "You followed me all this way to ask me that? Even if I wasn't prepared, it isn't as if I can do anything about it, right?"

Kawahira said nothing. A chilly gust of wind howled past them and Tsuna absently pulled up the collar of his coat. It was bound to be even colder in Italy.

He sighed. "I'm as ready as I can be. Vongola's come a long way; I've cleared up most of the bad business it's been dealing in, I've settled the more serious grudges and created more alliances than I can count, and I've been dreaming about heirs recently. Literally. Has Yuni ever told you that seeing the future is a pain in the ass?"

Kawahira looked unfazed by Tsuna's bout of unrelenting sarcasm, though the man did give him a searching look. "You've become somewhat jaded, Sawada-san."

A scathing rejoinder was on the tip of Tsuna's tongue, but he reined it in with effort. Odd. He'd always had a long fuse, had to or he'd never have been able to handle his Family on a daily basis.

But with Kawahira, it was as if the man was somehow purposefully drawing out every negative emotion that Tsuna had ever tucked away at the bottom of his heart.

Tsuna sighed again, a tired sound this time, snatched up and whisked away by the wind. "What do you want, Kawahira-san?"

"...Two hundred years," Kawahira said eventually. "I can extend the time between choosing Sky Arcobaleno to two hundred years."

Most of Tsuna was relieved to hear that. A small part of him thought rather spitefully, _a consolation prize._

"That's good," Tsuna said dully. And it was, it really was, because as selfish as it was, two hundred years at least meant that none of the people he knew would still be alive to take on the responsibility.

But there was still that snarling resentment locked away in the recesses of his mind, the one that wanted to scream at Kawahira and Yuni and the rest of the world for being _unfair_.

Yeah. He supposed he hadn't quite come to terms with dying yet.

He swallowed it down. Reborn and the others had suffered without complaint. And once upon a time, Yuni had sacrificed herself willingly, scared but still pushing on, and she had been far younger than Tsuna was now.

_At least she had Gamma holding her hand,_ the malicious, cynical monster spat out.

_Shut up_, the rest of Tsuna snapped back sternly. _I chose to do this. I could've chosen not to. But there's no way I would've._

And the rebellious voice subsided sullenly because that was true for any part of Tsuna. It wasn't fair, and he wished, desperately, that there was another way, but-

Better him than his Family.

Opening eyes that he hadn't known he had closed, Tsuna straightened and nodded a cordial goodbye to Kawahira. "I have to get going; I promised I'd be back in an hour."

Kawahira inclined his head. "Of course. Goodnight, Sawada-san."

Tsuna grunted, his manners not quite deserting him as he echoed the parting sentiment before turning for home.

Well, at least his mother's cooking never failed to cheer him up.

**{1}**

"Have you been eating enough?" Tsuna's mother asked anxiously as she pulled back from their hug and fussed over him. "You haven't been working too hard, have you? Or gotten hurt?"

Tsuna smiled reassuringly at her. "I've had a couple late nights, but Shamal's been keeping a close eye on me, and you know how my Guardians are; they all think I can't take care of myself. Getting hurt's next to impossible with them around."

Nana's worried frown smoothed out at the mention of his friends. One of the first things Tsuna had done after he had made up his mind to become Vongola Decimo had been to tell Nana about everything – not the gory details of course but a general overview of the mafia and what it entailed.

He and his father had argued long and hard over it. In the end, Tsuna had lost his temper (_You can't keep _lying_ to her forever, you crappy excuse for a husband! She was involved the moment you decided to marry her! At this rate, you're going to lose her!_ _I won't do the same!_), whipping out his flames and handing Iemitsu's ass to him in a beat down that even Reborn had been impressed with.

And then he'd marched both of them home, sat them down with Nana across from them, and, as gently as he had been able to, told her the truth, told her how Iemitsu was, for all intents and purposes, a criminal, and how he himself would be joining Vongola but that he was aiming to change it.

She'd cried, of course, and Tsuna's heart had ached, but he'd known her well enough to realize just how much strength she had under her kind nature to stay happy for him all the time and to carry on even with an absentee husband.

And then, after she had dried her tears and returned the tight hug Tsuna had given her, she'd asked him to step outside for a few hours. Tsuna had, and he'd paced the nearby park with Reborn, still tiny and light enough, on his shoulder until sundown before making his way back, only to find a strangely meek Iemitsu on the couch nursing a bloody nose with an ice pack, and Nana, while not quite smiling, still bustling around the kitchen fixing a late dinner with a lighter air about her as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

She'd beamed when Tsuna had walked in, and told her she was very proud of him – the first time she had ever said it and Tsuna had actually believed her – before thanking him for telling her the truth and reminding him to be careful since he was now involved in such dangerous business.

And that had been that. She hadn't scolded him for mixing himself up in the mafia or told him to pick a different – legal – career. She had simply told him to be careful. She trusted his decision and his goals, and she was proud of him.

Tsuna had loved her just for that.

And even after moving to Italy just before he'd turned nineteen, he'd made clear to his mother in no uncertain terms that he'd call her at least once a week, and he'd given her both a phone number and an email address. There was no concern over assassins coming to find her either because Kyouya's personal army – no longer just a student discipline committee – would protect the town from anyone wanting to do it and its residents harm.

"Well, you go get washed up then," Nana was saying now. "Dinner's almost ready. Make sure your father puts his laundry in the washing machine, okay?"

"Yes, Kaa-san," Tsuna said with a hidden grin. That was another thing that still amazed him even now. His mother had gotten stricter with Iemitsu's bad habits, forbidding him from trekking mud in through the door and refusing to let him laze around the living room in his boxers, half-drunk off his ass.

His grin faded as he climbed the stairs. He'd yelled at his own father for keeping secrets from Nana, and now he was doing the same thing, except this time it was his death.

Tsuna wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

What he was sure of was that he was a goddamn hypocrite.

**{1}**

"Are you sure you've packed everything you need, Kaa-san? It's seriously cold over in Italy."

"I'm sure, Tsu-kun. I _have_ been to Italy in the winter before, you know. And I seem to remember someone stocking up my closet over at that giant mansion of yours with even more clothes the last time I visited."

"I know, I know, but you almost came down with hypothermia that first Christmas. I worry."

Takeshi grinned as he watched his best friend recheck Nana's bags for the umpteenth time as the woman looked on with an indulgent smile. Tsuna never changed; even after becoming a mafia boss – and the mafia bit was debatable – he still fretted over the people around him with his usual penchant for excessive worrying.

Speaking of which...

"Tou-san," Takeshi turned to the right as his father walked up, dragging his luggage behind him. "Did you pack enough warm clothes?"

His dad sent him an amused smile. "You're picking up Tsuna-kun's habits, Takeshi. You do remember that I've worked in Italy before, right?"

Takeshi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Yeah, he did, and hadn't that been a shock. To learn that his father had once been an assassin before retiring and becoming a sushi chef wasn't something Takeshi had exactly expected.

"Sawada-sama, the plane is ready for takeoff."

Takeshi glanced back at his boss, who had stepped forward to meet one of their pilots. He picked up his own bags as Tsuna nodded and murmured a few orders that had the pilot nodding and hurrying away, checking his watch as he left.

"What was that about?" Takeshi enquired as he fell into step beside Tsuna and their respective families began making their way towards the private jet.

"Hmm?" Tsuna glanced up at him, rubbing a hand over his face in a tired gesture that had Takeshi making a mental note to drop a word to Hayato to lighten their boss' workload. "Oh, I asked him to check the luggage rack; remember the last time we forgot to do that?"

Takeshi chuckled at the memory. "Oh yeah, that was the time Ryohei tried to fit all the electronic boxing equipment he got from Shoichi and Giannini-san into the back and ended up short-circuiting half the plane! That was funny!"

He grinned when Tsuna shot him an exasperated look. "We _fell _out of the sky, Takeshi. It was a miracle we managed to clear Namimori before we crashed or we would've had to deal with a pissed off Kyouya as well."

Takeshi just laughed and slung an arm around the brunet. "Maa, maa, it worked out in the end, and we even got to skydive from the plane."

"Because it was _on fire_," Tsuna deadpanned, but his mouth twitched up helplessly into a rueful smile. "You are so, so lucky that Hayato wasn't with us that time."

Takeshi sweatdropped. Yeah, that might've been a problem. At the very least, he would've had to sit through a three-hour-long lecture from Hayato, even though they both knew that Takeshi would sooner die than let any harm come to Tsuna.

"I extremely can't wait for the party!"

Takeshi peered over Tsuna's head at the approaching Sun Guardian, Kyoko and Haru chatting behind him as Hana walked at the boxer's side, a long-suffering look on her face even as she allowed Ryohei to drag her along by the hand.

Those two had been a bit of a surprise when they had started dating, but no one could deny the fact that Hana had a real knack for calming Ryohei down whenever the boxer became too... extreme. Kyoko had been delighted, and Hana had been welcomed into their midst with general enthusiasm.

Takeshi's expression darkened in thought. And Hana was certainly a far sight better than that bastard Gino had ever been for Tsuna. In Takeshi's humble opinion, he definitely hadn't hit that turncoat hard enough, but Tsuna had said not to kill him, and there was only so much Takeshi could do with his katana when he was as angry as he had been and in no mood to hold back.

He shook the memories and glanced at Tsuna again, blinking when he found the brunet staring distantly at the skyline outside one of the floor to ceiling windows of the airport.

Tsuna did that sometimes, a tendency that Takeshi had noticed and chalked up to his best friend's Hyper Intuition.

"Tsuna?" He interrupted tentatively, automatically scanning their surroundings for danger even as Tsuna zoomed back into the present and focused on him. "Is something wrong?"

For an instant, something dark and melancholic slunk into Tsuna's eyes, creeping up like evening shadows and sending a thrum of something that bordered on terror straight into Takeshi's heart.

"Tsuna?" He repeated, instinctively reaching for his sword.

But Tsuna's eyes cleared again in the blink of an eye, leaving behind the typical warm brown as the brunet smiled again. "I was just thinking that I'm going to miss Namimori, that's all."

Takeshi stared hard at his best friend. Uneasiness continued prickling the back of his neck but Tsuna sounded honest enough if somewhat nostalgic.

"Well," Takeshi relinquished his grip on the hilt of his katana. "You'll see it again when we come back. This is our hometown after all; we'll probably all retire back here when we're old and wrinkly."

A startled laugh slipped from Tsuna's mouth, and Takeshi relaxed as they boarded the jet. That was better; he had probably just imagined it. Everything had been going right recently, and none of them had even had to get into any really serious fights. Christmas was coming up fast too, and their entire family would be gathering together; there was no reason for Tsuna to be sad.

Still, Takeshi couldn't quite shake off the feeling of wrongness completely, even when he shoved it to the back of his mind and forgot about it for the most part.

Because his instincts told him that something was about to go very, very wrong, and unfortunately, his instincts were usually right.

**{1}**

Bang!

"The hell do you want, pipsqueak trash?!"

Tsuna jolted awake, rings halfway transformed to gloves and hands already glowing with Sky flames before his brain caught up with the fact that it was only Xanxus glowering in his doorway, arms crossed and completely ignoring the flustered staff member trying to usher the frankly terrifying Mafioso back out of Tsuna's office.

"It's fine, Celia," Tsuna said, offering a reassuring smile. "Xanxus is one of the people who can come in here anytime. Don't worry; I'll take it from here, thank you."

Celia – new, obviously – blushed, stammered out an apology, and hastily curtsied before backing out the door and closing it behind her.

Xanxus snorted derisively as he crossed the room in four strides, flinging himself down onto Tsuna's couch with all the deadly grace of a hunting tiger. "How many times do I have to tell you – you're too soft on the servants; they should all know the rules by now."

"She's new," Tsuna admonished mildly, shoving aside some of the paperwork he had fallen asleep on. "She'll get the hang of it sooner or later."

Xanxus snorted again, but it was an age-old argument and the Varia leader didn't bother dredging it up once more. "Whatever. Just so long as you don't start trying to replace _my _staff with pussies."

Tsuna quirked a smile. "I would never dream of it. Did you and your team have a nice flight? You'll be staying for New Year's too, right?"

Xanxus scowled gruffly at him. "You've turned my fucking team into a bunch of wusses; they'll riot if they don't get to go through the fucking _countdown_. And that homo trash has been doing his Christmas shopping since October, so of course, all the other trashes had to one-up him. I think you'll need a bigger tree."

Tsuna huffed a laugh. "I'll keep that in mind; I think Verde's got some special fertilizer lying around that'll make plants grow in minutes."

Xanxus just rolled his eyes and glared impatiently at him. "Enough of this shit. I spent the entire flight over here listening to those bitches whine about something or other; I want to go to bed. What do you want? That bomber trash made it sound like it was a life-or-death issue when he said you wanted to see me."

Tsuna suppressed a sardonic smile. Hayato made everything sound like a life-or-death issue when it came to Tsuna's orders.

Although technically, as it turned out, this _was_ a life-or-death issue.

"Well, actually, I've been wanting to talk to you about this for a while now," Tsuna started, and Xanxus shifted, crimson eyes narrowing when he caught the note of sobriety in Tsuna's voice. "What do you think of the Vongola, Xanxus?"

Xanxus looked taken aback for all of a nanosecond before the scowl came back full force. "You're wasting my precious sleeping time for this, trash?"

Tsuna levelled a steadfast gaze on the Mafioso. "Humour me."

Xanxus heaved a sigh, irritation flickering over his features, but his eyes turned thoughtful as he mulled over Tsuna's question.

"Could do with a few more hits," He said at last, a sneer curling his lip. "At the rate you're going, the Varia's going to be out of a job. But I can't see you stopping your fucking rainbows and sunshine campaign for world peace, and the Vongola's gotten stronger, so I don't have too many complaints. And if the police trash keeps handing us those so-called impossible missions that their wimpy agents can't handle, I can tolerate them."

Tsuna nodded, keeping his expression blank as he absorbed Xanxus' answer. "Then... you wouldn't have any problems with Vongola continuing on this path?"

Xanxus' sneer grew more pronounced. "Did you not hear a word I just said, trash?"

Tsuna shook his head, leaning forward intently. "That's not what I mean. I mean, even if I were to die tomorrow, would you continue furthering Vongola along this path? Would you help this Family continue in the direction that I have chosen for it?"

Xanxus had gone utterly still. His expression darkened like a thundercloud. Tsuna only watched on, calm and apprehensive at the same time.

"...Are you planning to die tomorrow?" Xanxus enquired almost conversationally if not for the simmering inflection underlying each word that told Tsuna that one wrong implication would tip the man straight into full-blown pissed off mode. Over the years, Xanxus had gained a much better handle on his near-uncontrollable rage, but the man tended not to keep as much of an iron hold on it when he was amongst Family.

(Tsuna would like to think that that was because Xanxus considered Vongola home and he could be a little freer with his emotions than he would with allies or strangers or enemies.)

"Of course not," Tsuna waved a dismissive hand, locking down on the trepidation he felt and forcing his voice to remain light and relatively carefree. "At the very least, I'd want my portion of Christmas turkey first.

"But hypothetically," Tsuna stared hard at the Varia leader, humour fading away. "If I weren't around anymore, would you help continue my legacy?"

Tsuna had to hand it to him; Xanxus might not have the Vongola Hyper Intuition but the man's instincts were top-notch. He was watching Tsuna like a hawk right now, and if Tsuna had been trained by anyone other than Reborn, Xanxus probably would've picked something up.

As it was, the Varia leader slowly settled back into the couch, still eyeing him suspiciously. "...That depends. Who'd be in charge if you kicked the bucket?"

Ah. And here they'd arrived at the crux of the matter.

"Well, I'm not planning on getting married anytime soon," Tsuna announced matter-of-factly. "I obviously have no blood heirs, and even if I did, they'd be too young right now to step up as the Eleventh. Until someone could be found, Vongola would need a regent."

He paused. "So I'm asking you again, Xanxus; will you carry on my legacy even after I'm no longer around? I have no desire to see Vongola drenched in blood and betrayal and death again; I need to know where you would lead this Family."

Despite the gravity of the situation, Tsuna spared a moment to enjoy the stunned look on Xanxus' face; it wasn't every day that the Varia leader looked so openly staggered.

And then the fury slammed home.

"_Are you fucking insane, trash?!_" Xanxus roared, leaping to his feet in one smooth motion before stalking forward to tower over Tsuna. "Is this some kind of joke?! Have you forgotten who I am?!"

With practiced ease, Tsuna waited out the rant, allowing Xanxus to wind the insults to a close before speaking again.

"No, I'm not insane, and no, this isn't a joke," Tsuna reached into one of his drawers and withdrew a sheaf of documents. "And it's because you are who you are that I'm asking you in the first place."

He dropped the paperwork on his desk in front of the glaring Varia leader. "If I ever died, I need someone capable, someone strong, someone who won't take shit from enemy Families, and someone who cares about Vongola, about the _people_ who make up Vongola, to take over as regent.

"That isn't to say I'm giving you all the power of Vongola boss," Tsuna said with a slight smile, intuition and all the years of knowing this man coming into play. He knew what Xanxus was afraid of, knew the whispers that, to this day, even with Tsuna quashing them as much as possible, lingered amongst the few pockets of Mafioso here and there, jeers behind closed doors of _gutter rat_ and _traitor_ and _thank-god-we-have-Sawada-sama-instead-of-a-monster -who-can't-control-his-own-temper_.

It was the last that probably affected Xanxus most. He'd worked through his adoption issues with Timoteo, and Tsuna had long ago hashed out all the betrayal concerns with the man, but the last was something that Xanxus had always had a problem with.

Xanxus cared about Vongola; it had been his home ever since the Ninth had taken him in, and even with all the anger-fueled misunderstandings that had happened in between, Xanxus still cared about Vongola. His greatest fear would be unintentionally destroying it should he ever go on a rampage.

But Tsuna also knew that Xanxus was past that, if only _because_ the man was so afraid of doing exactly that. Xanxus wouldn't _let_ himself lose control; not anymore, and besides, he had plenty of people beside him now who wouldn't hesitate to knock him down a few pegs if he ever did snap and run wild.

"Basil and the rest of the CEDEF will hold a smaller piece of control over this Family," Tsuna continued. "As well as Hayato, being my second-in-command and all. And another part will go to Reborn, my closest advisor. The rest would go to you. Power of the Vongola boss will be split between four parties; that should provide sufficient security should anything ever go wrong, don't you think?"

Xanxus was still staring at him as if he expected Tsuna to start cackling madly any minute or wave everything off as one big joke. When Tsuna didn't, the man closed his eyes, visibly reeled in his anger, and stormed back over to the couch.

"You're insane," He said flatly once he was sitting down again. "Even if I was willing to continue your legacy, which is next to impossible and so fucking naive it makes me want to gag by the way, who the fuck else would accept it?"

"Your team would," Tsuna immediately responded. "And my Guardians would, because it is my decision and they will respect it. They respect you too, for all the fights and arguments you lot get into. Reborn would, because I didn't make this choice lightly, and he always understands the things I do, no matter how crazy or unconventional. All the people who matter would accept it, and that should be enough. The rest is up to you."

Xanxus was silent for a long, stilted moment, scrutinizing Tsuna as if he was something that the Varia leader had never come across before.

"...Let me see that," Xanxus finally said, leaning forward and holding out a hand for the documents. Tsuna handed it to him without a word.

The Varia leader read it five times. Tsuna was fairly certain that the man had had the entire thing memorized after the third time but was only stalling now.

"You're taking a big gamble," Xanxus remarked without fanfare when he looked up at last. "It's not like you. Why now?"

Tsuna shrugged easily. "Why not now? There's always a possibility of me dying anytime; best to be prepared."

Xanxus didn't look like he quite believed him but it was a perfectly valid reason and most bosses always had an heir or regent ready on the side just in case.

Another drawn-out silence ensued as Xanxus flipped through the papers once more.

"Are you sure?" He growled, pinning Tsuna with a piercing stare. "Vongola is rising in terms of power; I suppose I wouldn't have any problems continuing your... plans for this Family, pathetic as they can be. But are you sure, Decimo?"

It was only the second time Xanxus had ever used Tsuna's title – the first had been after Tsuna had defended the Varia's upper echelon in full view of the public from some of the more outspoken Mafioso who had sneered at Xanxus and his team.

"Yes," Tsuna nodded, firm and unyielding as his flame glowed in his chest and his Pacifier burned against his leg. "I trust you with this Family. I trust you to take good care of it in my stead."

Xanxus exhaled through his nose. His mouth twisted a little into something resembling a smile, and his expression tinged with something a little like gratitude and a little like contented pride. And then he pulled out a pen and signed his name at the bottom of the contract before tossing it back to Tsuna.

Tsuna smiled even as he sealed the entire thing with his Sky flames, ensuring its authenticity for any who would question his word after his death.

"It better just be a precaution though," Xanxus snapped irritably even as he turned away and sauntered towards the door. "Just looking at your paperwork makes me sick, and if you get yourself offed by some piece of trash out there, I'll raise you from the dead and kill you myself."

Tsuna chuckled at the threat, but as his office door swung shut behind the Varia leader, his smile faded and his shoulders sagged.

He knew he had just finalized one of the last steps that he'd needed to make before his death.

His heart felt cold.

And in his pocket, the Sky Pacifier pressed against his leg, a constant reminder of his fast-approaching end.

* * *

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